High-ranking on any list of novice design mistakes: rugs that are too small. Colossal rugs are no cheap ticket item, though. What’s a budget-minded aesthete to do? More and more, designers are recommending a once unorthodox practice: layering rugs. Whether it’s a geometric dhurrie layered over an earthy sisal rug or a collection of plush Moroccan rugs piled up with bohemian abandon, few things add depth and dimension to a room like layered rugs.
That said, the look can be tough to pull off if you’re not dabbling in the design trenches daily—Is layering round rugs considered passable? Can two patterned rugs tango? If you’re considering trying your hand at layering rugs, we’ve rounded up a collection of stunning rooms featuring different techniques. Read on to get inspired, plus score hacks to pull off the look.
Technique: The Landing Spot
Think of spots in your home where your feet land daily—your bedside, directly in front of a reading chair, centered in front of your bathroom sink—and chances are these are areas where your current rug is already well on its way to running threadbare. In these tirelessly-treaded spots, not only will a small rug layered on top of your current area rug provide protection against balding, but it will act as a powerful design element all on its own. When it comes to layering small throw rugs over area rugs, designers often spring for two rugs with patterns. The reason? Patterns allow you to put subtle similarities into play. For instance, in the bedroom above, designer Betsy Burnham opted for a base rug with a plaid pattern that mirrors the top rug’s linear borders.
Designer Tip: Thinking about layering rugs in an entryway? Carpeting a large entryway with a grand rug and layering a small throw rug over it directly in front of the door can be a genius way to scale down an oversized area and bring intimacy to a space. Outdoors, try throwing a doormat over an outdoor rug to summon more curb appeal.
Technique: Collectively Scattered
Channel the soul of a North African souk by laying down a quilt of bohemian layered rugs. A technique that will yield astonishingly atmospheric results, a patchwork of rugs can feel surprisingly polished if you stick to a few general rules. First, make an effort to procure thin layering rugs. Dhurries or kilims, which are pliable rugs with a thickness similar to a blanket, are ideal. As you’re shopping, strive to stick to a similar palette as well. You’ll also want to opt for rugs with repetitive patterns. Ideally, ones that extend from one end of the rug to the other, as borders can make the entire effect appear choppy. Lastly, when it comes to arranging boho layered rugs on the floor, resist the urge to limit yourself to linear arrangements. Diagonal rug layering can lend arresting interest.
Designer Tip: There are few techniques better suited to battling aesthetically challenged floors than a hoard of layered boho rugs. Whether you’re awaiting an all-out jackhammer renovation to out an outdated tile floor or living in a rental, the collectively scattered technique can mimic the effect of wall-to-wall carpet while procuring a look that’s loads richer.
Technique: Piled Over Sisal
Key in the search term “images of layered rugs,” and the first trend you’re likely to see emerge is flatweaves, hides, traditional wool rugs—really, any rug—layered over sisal or jute rugs. “Jute provides another texture in the room,” says Fort Worth designer Shauna Glenn. “It’s also a great solution when the rug you love doesn’t come in a big enough size.” Consider that sisal essentially acts as a neutral matting (not unlike matting in a photo frame), and it becomes apparent why layering rugs over sisal is so foolproof.
Despite its ease, there are a few tricks that can help you avoid first-time botches. One, choose a sisal or jute rug with a tight weft. Chunkier knots will cause thin layering rugs like flatweaves and hides to ripple. Secondly, just because sisal is neutral doesn’t mean that you should undercut the size of your border. At a minimum, a 2′ to 3′ foot border all the way around is ideal.
Designer Tip: Few design elements rival the impact of a pristine white rug. Stunning as they can be, the housewide bans they warrant—shoes, red wine—can be stifling. One way to make the upkeep of a white rug infinitely easier? Layering it over a sisal rug. Determine the width of your sisal borders based on your natural foot traffic path. Allowing foot traffic to fall on the sisal rather than your white rug will extend your white rug’s life tenfold.
Technique: Pieced-Together
Whether you possess two rugs that complement each other, but look amiss layered atop each other, or your two rugs are too similar in size, sometimes stacking rugs just isn’t a viable option. In these scenarios, consider puzzling your rugs together. While not a textbook, layering scenario, it can enhance a room in a similar way. For a 1930s Nashville colonial revival, design firm Brockschmidt & Coleman elected to do just that, laying down a contemporary embroidered Fedora Designs rug just inches from a vintage Turkish Oushak. Used in such close proximity, the rugs allowed the duo to break a large living room into two distinct sitting zones. The discord in age also firmly establishes the room’s mood as eclectic, offsetting the formality of the rooms’ antiques.
Designer Tip: If your entryway includes a staircase, it offers up the unique opportunity to layer an area rug and a stair runner side-by-side. Since most runners tend to take the modern route (being that they’re cut-to-order), consider embracing an eclectic mix and opting for an antique area rug on the ground level. Unsure if your rugs are jiving? Reign in the color palette and put motifs from your more modern rug on repeat throughout the rest of the room, as designer Nicole Zarr did in the striking entry below.
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Lead image design by Angie Hranowsky / Photo by Jeff Herr
